On the edge of the new year, Westerveld has gained a green foundation. ‘Stichting Vledder vergroent’, founded by Elvira de Kraag, aims to increase biodiversity in gardens and public green areas. A first step towards this has already been taken with a residents’ initiative.
Together with residents of ‘t Beusje in Vledder, Elvira de Kraag made a plan to adopt a barren piece of municipal land. “After a number of meetings it was clear what the residents did and did not want. We have measured all ideas against the yardstick of biodiversity. Within those frameworks, with the support of Landschapsbeheer Drenthe, we created the planting plan and design and submitted it to the municipality for permission.”
Residents’ initiative
With the agreement in hand, a subsidy for Green Residents’ Initiatives could be applied for from the Province of Drenthe. “The aim of this subsidy scheme was to help residents make their own plan for designing public green areas, which was essentially about promoting biodiversity. This means that you only see native plants in the design for the green area at ‘t Beusje. Because plant species that are native to our country attract the most insects and birds.”
The subsidy has now been awarded by the province. There will first be a residents’ meeting for the entire street in January, after which the green area can be set up in February.
Lectures and workshops
In addition to encouraging and facilitating green residents’ initiatives, the foundation is also involved in information and education about biodiversity. Elvira: “Think of guest lectures at schools, showing nature documentaries in village halls and organizing lectures and workshops. For example, it is about what happens in healthy soil, what the function of wasps is, and how you can keep rainwater in your own garden.”
Elvira wants to shed light on ‘green’ topics from a different angle: “An angle that makes it clear that green is only really green if all kinds of animals can find a home in it. Because one green is not the same as another, and how you deal with it makes a world of difference. Do you see plants as nothing more than a backdrop in your garden painting, or do you create a home for the animals that depend on them? The latter is what the Vledder greens foundation stands for.”
Organic flower bulb promotion
Last year, Elvira organized a purchasing campaign for organic flower bulbs for the first time. “We will do this again in 2024, where we hope to make even more people enthusiastic about gardening that is as natural as possible, in the interest of everything that lives in and around greenery.”
In addition, there are plans for the development of a Vledders Butterfly Walk, transforming a traditional playground into a challenging play area, and starting a pilot with school gardens. “Setting up a foundation is then necessary to receive financial support for all these plans. And it is a kind of umbrella to connect other enthusiasts, because of course I cannot do all this alone.”
And Elveria doesn’t want to go it alone either: “Another important objective is to create more social ties, because working together to create more greenery in the neighborhood also creates more interaction between residents. This way the knife cuts both ways: profit for animals and people.”
Want to know more about Vledder is greening? Email: [email protected].